Keeping the World From War
by xXchampXx
Summary: 100 years of war has left many political scars. Katara agrees to go above and beyond yet again, and enters into a political engagement to the sullen Fire Lord Zuko. They're no longer kids on a journey to end war, but now adults trying to keep war from happening again. And maybe they'll be lucky enough to discover love along the way too. ZukoXKatara mentions of other couples as well


**_Disclaimer: Anything and everything Avatar: The Last Airbender related is not mine. I own NONE of it! I just enjoy toying with the wonder of their world._**

 **Author's Note:** Alrighty then, I have not posted anything in YEARS. I have just recently graduated from college (going back to further my education though) and am currently studying for my board exam which means thoughts of Appa came up so I decided to re-watch the series. That being said it has also been YEARS from the last time I've watched the original Team Avatar so I apologize in advance if I get a few facts incorrect (though with the joys of fanfiction some liberties are allowed to be taken)...if anyone notices anything too outlandish (like I accidently make someone a different gender, or misspell their name) please just post it in any reviews you wish to post and I'll try and fix it as soon as possible. I'm also going to try and post regularly in between studying and classes, so let's see together if my spur of the moment story turns into a yearlong project for me.

Also I am beta-less, all editing is done by me because this little project does make great practice for school essays. So I do apologize for anything minor, but the problem with self-editing is everything sounds correct…hence the need for practice.

Hope you enjoy! Here we gooooooo!

 **Chapter 1**

"Lady Katara, we will be arriving in two hours."

A young Water Tribe woman nodded not truly registering what was just spoken to her, but mindlessly listening to the disappearing footsteps. Her current state being due to her want to feel her last bit of connection to the water, the ocean, and the wind alone. Lifting her face towards the sun she realized that it may not be the full moon, but it too needed what she felt was a last 'good bye.'

Closing her blue eyes she tried to ignore the hair that kept brushing her face, for today may just be the last time she lets it go free. After the journey with the Avatar she had gotten used to not having to braid it every day.

She gave a small smile thinking that maybe the flapping hair was a good distraction, especially with everything that had happened in the last month. The irony being that even with said journey with the Avatar, nothing caused as much stress as the political workings of nations trying to rebuild after a 100 year war.

It had been going rather well. Celebrations from the two suppressed nations, happy to finally be able to live their own cultures again; and the nation that had committed multiple atrocities now playing nice. Plus who can forget about all the fire nation nobles trying to grasp for the limited power available?

Life had been good. Katara and Aang sharing that kiss in the sunset, much like the one she was looking at now. Sokka and Suki had gotten married and had a little one on the way. Toph's parents finally accepted their daughter's abilities and she showed them how great the world could really be.

Then the excitement wore off. People's lives had to go back to normal. They had to start making their living again. However, 100 years of war, suspicion, and terror is a lot to shake off. Those three parts of the human nature had become embedded into the nation's leaders that when they brought it to work it caused even more problems.

Zuko may not be following the path of his father or his father before him, but with a family tradition of trying to become the ruler of the world it leaves a mark. A mark that leaves the world scarred for the next few generations to feel, much less the ones that had to deal with the late Fire Lord.

The Water and Earth leaders all could not shake the feeling of impending war. Every time they had to make a simple trade agreement they would feel the need to wear the thickest armor, and bring their best soldiers. Such elements do not make the best of alliances, it doesn't open the leader's minds to be able to open their borders, and it defiantly doesn't allow the feeling of acceptance of fire benders within their walls. Without the air of celebration, 100 years of emotions came back full force. With every leader still on the defense, Zuko's inexperience with politics was becoming obvious.

The sun now fully set Katara was able to feel the pull of the moon. It gave her strength to finally think about the last moments that led to her being on a fire nation vessel.

 _5 weeks ago:_

 _"_ _How do we know that he isn't just going to do the exact same thing his father did?" Chieftain Arnook of the Northern Water Tribe asked, "How do we know he didn't just try to befriend the Avatar, just so that way he would have a way to dethrone the Fire Lord? It is not like the ones before him? I'm quite certain some of them killed their own father! How can we trust that he isn't going to use our weakened statuses and our trust of him to attack us?"_

 _Many of the leaders around the table were nodding. It was a round table on an island Aang had created to allow all four borders of the nations to touch. The island was a neutral zone for all the leaders to meet and try to regain relations._

 _"_ _I would appreciate it if you did not speak of me as if I were not sitting two places to your left," this came as a soft groan of the current Fire Lord. His chin was in his right hand, gazing at the Chieftain in hopes his annoyance could be seen, "We have gone over this multiple times. I am not my father. In fact, I too was victimized by him in case the scar isn't obvious. It will never be as bad as what was done to your nations, but I do understand your pain."_

 _"_ _Do not patronize me boy!"_

 _"_ _Okay, okay, okay…how about we take a good nice deep breath and go for a meat break? Everybody still likes meat right? Expect for Aang, but everybody else right?" This time the reply was from Sokka in his attempts to take the heated stares off of his friend._

 _Sokka, Katara, and Toph had all been allowed to join the meetings. The first two being considered royalty and all future rulers were allowed to sit in to start learning how the world is ran while at peace. However, the real reason these three had gotten an invitation was due to the fact they were named advisors to the Avatar. Sure Aang had been offered many of the leader's most trusted advisors, but he insisted that if his friends were good enough to help stop a war, they were good enough to help keep war from happening._

 _That however didn't mean they were always welcome. That fact all the more evident as Sokka's father, Chieftain Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe shook his head and said, "Sokka, please take this seriously."_

 _"_ _But I am!" Sokka drastically throw up his hands and throw them down, the momentum causing him to stand, "If we could get over Zuko stalking us to try and kill…"_

 _"_ _I never once tried to kill any of you!" Zuko interrupted._

 _"…_ _Um Shocky Shocky Boom Boom, thank you very much. But as I was saying, we were chased from one end of the earth to the other. Literally! He chased us from the South Pole to the North Pole, and still followed us when he failed. At every turn we had to look over our shoulder to ensure he wasn't behind a bush. And don't get me started on that creepy blue mask that he had too! Or that one time that he had that giant dog mole thing trying to sniff us out! Or that one time…"_

 _"_ _Sokka!" Katara finally getting tired of her brother's pointless rant._

 _"_ _What?" Sokka turned with eyes wide and a finger pointed._

 _"_ _Have you forgotten where we are at?"_

 _Sokka slowly turned towards the group. It was sometime hard for him to remember that the dynamics at a political meeting was different from the dynamics of a team in the saddle of a flying bison. He was just lucky that being an advisor to the Avatar allowed for some leeway._

 _"_ _So he digressed, can you really blame him Sweetness? Sparky was the biggest stalker on the face of this planet," Toph said while flexing her toes so she could see Katara from behind her feet she had on the table, not wanting to be left out of any argument._

 _"_ _As I was saying," Sokka huffed, "Zuko did quite a number on all of us. From the very beginning, but in the end he was the one who taught Aang how to fire bend. Even though he was chasing us, he still helped us out. Even though it was for his own selfish gain, he still helped in his own way. Like he said, he has a very physical reminder of what his father was, and that was his drive for all that time. With that drive being so strong he was still, in a way, nice. Sure he was a moody teenager, but so was Katara and she's the Southern Water Tribes resident Sweetheart. That being said, Zuko did a lot to us personally; physically, mentally, and emotionally. In the end however, we still saw there was good in him and trusted him in our group. We trusted him with the most important part of the war, we trusted him with our lives, and we trusted him with our best friend. I'm not saying that you have to trust the Fire Lord or the Fire Nation, but this distain for them cannot keep going on. If it does, then all that we worked for to end this war will fall apart. So instead of fixing already in place trade agreements why don't we work towards truly fixing relations between the Fire Nation and the world?" Sokka rambled out quickly to try and get everything said before being interrupted again, and hoping he hadn't jumped around topics too much._

 _Every leader at first looked shocked that the notion to discuss peace had come from Hakoda's goof-ball of a son instead of the Avatar. That's when they knew that they had been messing up big time. They really did have to find a solution, and a permanent on too._

 _"_ _Is there any really true way to ensure relations that doesn't involve just signing a peace treaty? We have already done that and it obviously hasn't worked," Aang finally finding a place to talk in with this meeting._

 _"_ _It'd have to be something related to an old tradition, or an old law. Or just anything that precedes the 100 year war. For I have a feeling any law made after the start of the war would have the exact same effect as the peace treaty," King Bumi of Omashu said while stroking his beard, "If I'm not mistaken, arrange marriages between kingdoms is a common practice within our three nations?"_

 _"_ _But who? We can't just pick some random people off the streets and tell them the fate of the world depends on if they can stay married to a stranger," Hakoda voiced, for he was never really fond of those specific laws himself._

 _"_ _It would have to be royalty of course. The Fire Lord himself willing to marry someone of our nations would show great sacrifice and his willingness to do anything to make the world right," Arnook resting his chin on his clasp fingers leaning forward._

 _"_ _And the one he marries would have to also be royalty from one of the other nations," Bumi continued._

 _"_ _Sadly my daughter has already passed to give life for the Moon Spirit."_

 _"_ _And Aang being the last of the Air Nation won't work due to a clause in political marriage contracts stating the couple must produce an offspring biologically related to both spouses, within three years and three months."_

 _"_ _Yeah, that's not oddly specific at all," Sokka couldn't keep himself from commenting._

 _"_ _Nothing says bound together for nations quite like the binding of genes," Hakoda whispered to his son. His eyes were wide as he knew exactly where this was leading._

 _"_ _That is so not the part…"Sokka started, but was cut off._

 _"_ _That leaves only me," Katara said softly looking down at her hands that were resting on her lap._

 _"_ _Hold on. You all sound like you are making plans. Not just throwing around ideas. You can't just throw this kind of stuff in the air without a counter, especially when it comes to my sister marrying someone," Sokka exclaimed waving his hands around trying to get anybody to see just how ridiculous the situation was, "Come on Zuko, they are planning your wedding essentially. Aren't you going to say anything?"_

 _"_ _They're right. It is the only true way to show I mean well. Most nobles of the Fire Nation have arranged marriages. It was going to happen to me anyways. If in the end it winds up being for the greater good, instead of just for the production of an heir I don't see why I don't take the opportunity," Zuko said head held high. He could see the other ruler's logic._

 _"_ _Tell me Sokka, you were just raving about how much of a good guy the Fire Lord is…what's with the change of heart when it comes to the thought of your sister marrying him?" Arnook asked curiously._

 _"_ _Because you can't just rationalize essentially giving a girl away as if she is property just because you can't get over your fear. It just so happens to be that said girl is someone I really care about. It isn't even like you are trying to find someone you care about. You didn't volunteer anybody, so why should you volunteer Katara?"_

 _"_ _Hehehe, but we never volunteered her child," Bumi said snickering behind his hand._

 _"_ _He's right Sokka. They named reasons no other nation has any royal woman to volunteer. In fact my name never came from them. I was the one to mention it," Katara put a hand on her brother's arm to try and calm him down, "And you know me. I went on a long, dangerous journey with a boy I had just met to try and save the world. If this will help keep us from war again…then I'll do it. Only if Zuko agrees of course."_

 _Katara turned to make eye contact with Zuko. It had been a long time from when she was healing him from the lighting strike, when her attention is being focused strictly on him. He's eyes still the same color, but she could tell that the short time as the Fire Lord has been hard on him._

 _"_ _I've already given my thoughts. It matters not who it is, as long as it will fix the trust issues with the rest of the leaders," Zuko waved his hand to hopefully dismiss the subject._

 _The table gave another round of head nods as they all agreed that would be the first steps they needed to finally start trusting the Fire Nation._

 _Hakoda looked down and sighed, "Well I guess Fire Lord, someone is going to have to teach you how to carve a betrothal necklace for your fiancée."_

The boat pulled into the dock, the horn breaking Katara's thoughts as she looked down at her hands to see the newly carved wood in her hands. She took a deep breath to prepare herself to step off the boat, as a fully engaged woman.

 ** _Author's Note:_** I really hope this first chapter was enjoyable. I swear there will be actual Zuko and Katara interactions, but let's face it exposition must come first…for you must learn to crawl before you run. Or some other proverb Uncle would say over tea. Please feel free to review and I'll try to post soon.


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